The present invention relates to a viaduct for a railway line or the like, and comprising successive spans resting on supports such as piers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,468 discloses a viaduct of the above-specified type in which each span is substantially U-shaped in cross-section.
This U-shaped section corresponds to a load-carrying slab forming the web of the U-shape and connected on either side to respective upwardly extending flanges.
Each flange is surmounted on top by a substantially horizontal soleplate forming a shelf that extends transversely, at least towards the opposite flange.
After such a viaduct has been built, it can become necessary to build additional structures, for example a new station comprising, on one side at least, a slab forming a platform for passengers.
Such new structures require major work in order to establish new supports standing on the ground, one or more slabs, and superstructures that are provided in conventional manner in such stations.
The object of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of known viaducts and to propose a viaduct of the above-specified type adapted to make it very easy and quick to build new superstructures on at least one side of the viaduct without impeding use of the line.
According to the invention, in the viaduct of the above-specified type, for at least some of its spans it includes beams extending transversely outwards from at least one side of said spans beyond the corresponding side flange and shelf, each beam being of length in the transverse direction and of strength that are predetermined to be sufficient to enable additional structures to be built subsequently on said beams, e.g. slabs which preferably extend said soleplates outwards.
Thus, these transverse beams made when the viaduct is initially built make it possible at a later date, without any lead time, to build additional structures suitable for fixing on such transverse beams, and to do so in any conventional known manner.
Thus, using the transverse beams for support, it is possible to erect any kind of additional structure, whether temporary or permanent, e.g. a new station with platforms, and superstructures, without there being any need to dig the ground and install new foundations or to mount bulky scaffolding in order to build such new structures.